Page 76 of Dad Next Door

Tristan caught my hand and tugged me to a stop. “Thanks.” He pressed a quick kiss against my lips.

Leo giggled, his hand over his mouth, as Tristan stepped back.

“So, where’s the board?” I asked. Hopefully my face wasn’t as red as it felt.

“This way.”

He led me into the back living room, where Freddie was fast asleep on a giant pet bed in the corner near their huge sectional.

Unlike my barely furnished and mostly empty house, Tristan’s was full of life and stuff. Pet supplies, toys, and random things were scattered around, and most of his furniture was mismatched and worn.

His house was the same minimalist style that was common in new builds, where everything was monochromatic and shiny, but the lack of cohesive decor in the place didn’t make it look messy or disorganized. It was comfortable and homey and lived in.

Leo flopped onto the floor on the other side of the coffee table where the chessboard was set up. I sank onto the sectional opposite him.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Ready.” I waited for him to start.

“Dad said you’re his boyfriend now.” He moved one of his pawns. “Are you going to move in with us?”

I choked on nothing. What the hell?

“You okay?” Leo asked, his eyes wide with childhood innocence.

“Yeah.” I cleared my throat and moved one of my pawns. “I’m fine. Just swallowed wrong.”

“I do that sometimes too. So, are you going to move in with us?” He studied the board. “Jace moved in when he and my other dad were boyfriends. He doesn’t live with us anymore because he and my dad broke up.” He moved his knight.

“I think your dad and I are a long way from that,” I said carefully.

“That makes sense. You have a house. Jace didn’t. At least you’re next door, so we can hang out when I’m here.” He beamed another smile at me.

“We can—yikes.” I jumped back as a blur of pink streaked across the floor and leapt at me. I caught Jinx out of instinct.

“Jinx,” Leo scolded. “No jumping.”

“Hey, buddy.” I put Jinx on the couch next to me.

He scurried up my chest and draped himself over my shoulder, his back legs and butt in front and his front legs and the rest of him behind me. I put my hand under his bottom to help steady him. He rubbed his face against mine and purred.

“He likes when you’re scratchy.” Leo pointed at his face.

“You mean my scruff?”

He nodded.

“He’s like a parrot.” I turned my face toward Jinx so he had a better angle to nuzzle my cheek. “Hey, buddy. Do you remember me?”

In all the months we’d been friends—and more—we hadn’t spent any time at Tristan’s house. With the craziness of his menagerie, it made sense that he liked the relative quiet of my place and used it as an escape.

Jinx purred louder and rubbed his face against my face more vigorously.

Holding a hairless cat was weird. He was warmer than I remembered, and his skin was soft. It was kind of like holding a purring baby that looked like a goblin.

“I’m heading out,” Tristan said from the doorway. “Don’t be afraid to put Jinx down if he’s bothering you. He’s a snuggler, but he gets the message if you don’t want to hold him.”

“He’s fine,” I assured him.